5 Ways Weather Can Affect You

Do you feel strong and energetic on some days and tired and achy on other days?  It could be due to several reasons such as diet, sleep time or a cold.  Or it could be caused by the Weather.

If you have days when you don't feel like being physically active or your workout seems extra hard don't get discouraged.

High humidity can affect breathing, cause muscle fatigue and worsen allergies.  Low barometric pressure can cause joint pain and headaches.

Some people are more sensitive to the effects of weather than others.  If high humidity or low barometric pressure affect you, be kind to yourself on those days.  Do an easy workout or wait for another day to exercise.

Barometric pressure (or Atmospheric pressure) is the pressure within the atmosphere of the Earth.  Weather forecasters use changes in the air pressure to predict changes in the weather.  Steadily falling barometer readings indicate an approaching storm. The faster and lower the drop, the quicker the storm will arrive and the greater its intensity.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.  Humidity is influenced by temperature and geographic location.  Warmer air holds more moisture than cooler air.  Areas with a lot of surface water such as coastal areas and the Great Lakes region have high humidity levels due to evaporation. Solencosa I live in the Great Lakes region and the daily average humidity is 73% which is high compared to 53% humidity in Flagstaff, Arizona.   Muskegon Humidity, Flagstaff Humidity   Sunny weather is typically 30.2 - 30.3 inches barometric pressure,
stormy weather is typically less than 29.2 inches of barometric pressure.  LiveScience 

Humidity and barometric pressure are related.  When pressure is dropping due to an upcoming storm humidity increases, because with lower pressure there is more water vapor in the air.

5 Ways Weather Can Affect You 


1.  Shortness of Breath 
As humidity increases, the density of the air increases.  Denser air creates more resistance to airflow in the airway resulting in an increased work of breathing (i.e. more shortness of breath).  RoTech  Humid air activates nerves in your lungs that narrow and tighten your airways.  Healthy people may notice fatigue while exercising.  And people with lung conditions like asthma or COPD may struggle to breathe.  CBSLocal

2.  Muscle Fatigue
During exercise your muscles have to work harder which increases their demand for oxygen.  This is why your breathing and heart rates increase:  to help pull more oxygen into your bloodstream.  OxygenPlus  However, as humidity increases the oxygen level in the air is reduced.  Muscle fatigue occurs when you don't get enough oxygen to your muscles.  NCBI

3.  Worsen allergies
Humidity over 60 percent encourages the growth of mold.  Humidity also makes the air stagnant enough to trap pollutants and allergens like pollen, dust, mold, dust mites, and smoke.   HealthLine

4.  Joint Pain
A scientific study from Tufts-New England Medical Center shows a link between changes in barometric pressure and joint pain.  MigraineAgain  One explanation is that as the pressure decreases bodily fluids move from blood vessels to tissues, causing pressure on the nerves and joints which lead to increased pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.  Bustle  One of the best things you can do to avoid joint pain is to keep moving to loosen stiff joints.  Women'sHealthMag  

5.  Headaches  
Low barometric pressure can cause headaches by creating a pressure difference between the surrounding atmosphere and the sinuses, which are filled with air.  It is worse when the sinuses are congested or blocked.  NY Times